[4wheelsinthekoosh]

Wow i remember UMRA in 93'. Same year i got emancipated and still got kicked out of the club. (then when out and got into a sprint car) But it probaly didnt help that i drove one of "green car's" a couple of times when they were banned. People just dont get the Goff's. If they like you. You will know it right way. If they dont like you. You will know it right way. If you want to clean things up with UMRA. Then start at the top and rewrite the slate. With starting another TQ org. all you are doing is making a place for yourself to play unstead of dealing with the problem. It will be alot like NFL Europe. Do they still have NFL Europe?? So good luck with whatever you want to do.

The guys that started UMRA and the great guys that have been in this club is a awsome list and I would encourge people to sit down and talk to some of these people that have been around for many many years, They will tell you that running this club is not very easy, people take time out of their busy lives to attend meetings and try and make it fun and fair for everyone, but they will tell you the same thing it has never happen and most likely never happen in the future we just have to do the best we can, they have all left us a great club, and its up to the people who care for it the most to continue to run the club the best we can, as they tried to do in the past. And thats all we can do, Some will love it and some will hate it But when that new feature winner says his name will be named with the best drivers in UMRA, The Rick Meyer, Dick Dwenger , Mel Harpring, Ron Ambrose, Terry Goff , You can name names for a hour, Thats what they are going to be proud of.

Ron Combs

[STP]

Thank you to all who posted the good things about the UMRA, that is the way I want it to live on.

Plans are still on with the new league and I will have announcements soon.

I'm starting this league to give drivers more opportunities to drive TQs and don't have a problem with those who wish to drive in both series. I welcome those who are in it for the racing.

[TQ2M]

Originally Posted by Speedwrench I haven't followed the entire thread, but I'm curious. When you mention having your cars and engines outlawed are you refering to your dad's car or Roy miller's car? Or both? Heard from Stuckey lately? Smokey

Between the '86 & '87 seasons the Ambrose 77, and the Monroe 2 were outlawed because the rule was changed banning chain driven cars "roadsters" and our 2 stroke engine was changed from 45ci to 42 ci. The club was 95% honda powered upright cars and they orginized and changed what they saw as a problem. Ron Ambrose won 18 of 21 races in 85 or 86. After '88 the 2 stroke was eliminated completely, that was when the Miller 95 was affected. The democracy that is UMRA worked for the majority. Today UMRA appears to have a problem enforcing dicipline. If the new board can responsibily change some rules, clearly defining what happens to you when you "pop your top" I believe we have solved our issues.

I went back and reread this thread and have revised my opinion slightly. It was said said there are enough cars to run 3 or 4 clubs. That is probably a bit of an exaggeration, but if the new club can provide another venue without directly competiting with UMRA then this will work. I think this is a fantasy, but anything is possible. May I suggest that the new sancitioning body concentrate on a single track, a home track, and leave UMRA as the traveling club.

Smokey, Great to hear from you> I would love to catchup. I talk to Jerry weekly. Call him it would absolutely make his day (407-396-0778). If you want to win in TBARA you must have a Hurricane.

Joe Monroe

[jontheturboguy]

Easy there ladies and gents.

Lets all take a :redflag:and calm down.

I'll give you my $.02 and tell you how I see it, and what I think needs to be done.

This is going to be long.

I've had a long time to think about all this when I left the club.

If you have something educated to say, please reply back.

If you're going to be a stupid tire kicker, please leave.

1.) Money

We all know it.

The payout in UMRA sucks.

Sucks hard.

$350 to win?

Are you kidding me?

This hasn't changed in years.

I know times are tough. They are tough for every one.

To know that Im spending...

$50 in gas to get there in the hauler
$50 in gas to get home in the hauler
$75 in alcohol in the race car
$125 left rear
$125 right rear
$40 for every one's pit passes
$50 food & drink
==========================
$515 or more for ONE NIGHT OF RACING!

And if Im lucky - and I beat all the other guys - and I dont' trash an engine - and I don't trash a drive line - I get a measly $350 bucks? Are you kidding me? I'm risking the same life and limb as a sprint car or full size midget driver and Im racing for peanuts?

Please don't take this the wrong way. I love racing. I miss being in the office. Id race just to say I got dirty. I don't care about the money, but damn it sure helps!

Want to draw more cars?

OFFER MORE MONEY.

Talk to your sponsors, promoters, fans etc etc etc. Get that cash flowing!

(BTW paying your "PRESIDENT" a $100 just to be president is foolish. Making more money just showing up VS. the guy who runs last in the feature is retarded.)

2.) Car count

For those of you that have said, "The last few years have been the best yet for cars."

Excuse me? What rock did you just wake up from?

If you can remember the days of 75+ cars showing up to Rushville, from across the United States and actually running out of parking for haulers, then talk to me about "ASTOUNDING" car counts.

How do we get car counts? Spec right rears? Spec engines? Spec chassis?

Possibly, but then you create a monopoly.

You want cars at your races?

Heres how:

1. Simple no frills, no B.S., no political, no nonsense club / organization
2. Larger payouts
3. Nationally accepted rules (California, Florida, Illinois. Iowa)
4. Smooth running shows with a schedule that is not wavered
5. Good safety committee and safe tracks (posts off of turn 3 and 4 ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE)
6. Well prepped tracks, not basement farms
7. Good flagman with quality observers on all 4 corners
8. Two day shows (Think.... any body remember camping at Rushville for the Rushville nats?????)
9. Location, location, location. Drivers and teams don't want to go to Bronx NY for a race to win $350.
10. Promotion, promotion, promotion. Get your name out there. There's a fair coming to town? No you don't say! Yes I do say! Then where's the posters for the race car races? Wheres the flyers? TV, radio adds? Wheres the Shriner club, Toys for Tots, and the National Guard for fund raisers at the races? Wheres the "Fan appreciation nights" for discounted tickets?

3.) People

I understand tempers flare, topics get into heated discussions, and cars get bumped and wrecked.

***** happens people.

People make the club! Fans, crews, drivers, support (safety, tech, flagman, corner workers)

When rules are broken or the flagman makes a statement.....

YOU HAND OUT THE APPROPRIATE FINES OR PUNISHMENT AND MOVE ON WITH THE SHOW.

When your "President" flips off the entire front grandstand at a community fair, YOU DO NOT KEEP HIM A.) RACING B.) AS PRESIDENT.

This is just one instance that stands out in my mind.

There are several others, not just with cars painted in a certain color

People all have their complaints and concerns.

One thing you do not do to your people is run them off.

I'll dig up a little something sore that was never settled and never will be settled.

How in the world do you justify running Bob Nichols (both SR. & JR) off and tell them to not come back, when another gentleman (who's been there for an extended amount of time) stays and makes a complete stink hole out of the whole club?

PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE!

4.)Rules & Safety

If you're black flagged. Deal with it.

If you're waiving that flag, you better not be biased or going off of hear say.

Rules are rules. Do not bend, brake, or alter.

Simple enough?

Good.

Now, if you're going to make a series, make it right and make it for the masses to come and enjoy.

Call up the boys on the west coast - ask them about their rules. Incorporate them so they can come play too. Let them bring the current rules up to today's century.

Call up the boys in Illinois & Iowa - ask them about their rules. Tell them that wings aren't really needed and to come play with us in the dirt.

Call up the boys in Florida - ask them about their rules. Tell them that pavement isn't the only surface you can play on, although bring your street shoes because we may just have some asphalt some where to play on.

Get the ENTIRE UNITED STATES organized for racing TQ's. I know we can't really incorporate the East Coast guys simply because their cars or more like Three Quarter Super Modifieds, rather than Three Quarter Midgets.

Get a rivalry going. Get the guys from all over to come race with us at the Rushville Nats. Get those car counts back up!

Now, on to safety.

Bladders.

This is a problem just waiting to happen. When it does, I don't want to be there.

Cars are going faster, tracks are going bigger, drivers are getting better.

1/10th mile Rushville. A plastic tank is most likely ok.

1/2 mile Lawrenceburg. A PLASTIC TANK IS NOT OK WITHOUT A BLADDER.

"Oh but it will raise the price to go racing!

It's your safety. It's for the good of the club! Imagine what it will be like to not race when the club gets sued for not having cars up to spec!


Roll Cages & Chassis

Cars running any thing less than 1 1/4" tubing need to be put in a museum, not on a race track.

If your car is stick welded together, you A.) Are a fool B.) Should be asked to leave from the tech line and never see a race track.

If your car's cage BOLTS ON, see above.

Rear Ends

(Sorry Mel & Acro)

Acro rear ends are good.

Old 1982 Acro rear ends with 450 races on them ARE NOT.

Ask Greg Stroup how well an Acro holds up.

The smaller, older rear ends have no business being at the larger race tracks that the TQ's go to.

This BS of running archaic chassis, wheels, and rear ends needs to stop.

Theres no need for it.

Go buy an updated Acro or Winters.

Seats

If you're running a single walled 1/8" aluminum shower curtain for a seat, you seriously need to think about another hobby.

I'm being serious here people. You would not believe the "safety" equipment I have seen over the years pass through the tech line at a TQ race.

It's sickening!

This includes belts! Your grandfathers fighter plane belts from WWII should never see your race car!

5.) Tracks

Just leaving off with safety, I'll start off with track safety.

All tracks that we run either need a good safety catch fence & wall, or wide open spaces to blast off to the moon (think Bloomington).

Cut off telephone poles just outside of turn 3 & 4 is not safe.

Having a 4 foot deep drainage ditch off of turn 4 is not safe.

Having no ambulance on site is not safe.

And the list goes on....

As for tracks, I'm with some others that we need to run the fair dates.

Lets start seeing Johnson County again. City of Madison fair. Salem dirt track. Etc etc etc.

The fairs let people know that we exist, and we put on a damn good show.

Lets also take a look at the "big" tracks like Bloomington, North Vernon, Lawrenceburg and others.

If TQ's are the "stepping stone" to getting in a Sprint Car or USAC Midget, then by God we need to be riding those events' coat tails as a support series for the night.

6.) Winter

Winter in Indiana, especially for a West Coast transplant like myself - in terms of racing - sucks.

Something needs to be addressed about creating a winter series or Nationals down in Florida.

Take a vacation and go racing?

Sounds good to me!

Something needs to be addressed about getting back in with the Rumble Indoor series.

Shake off those winter time blues!

Something needs to be addressed about TQ's going to Chilli bowl, or at least the Tulsa Shootout the week before.

Again - STEPPING STONE! Lets ride those coat tails!

Something needs to be addressed about going to New Zealand for the winter.

Its summer time down there, and talk about LOTS OF TQ'S!


In closing. I miss being behind the wheel. Im not the young man I used to be. I know that racing won't ever be a career for me, as I thought it was going to be when I was 21.

I miss the "family" of racing. I miss all the people I used to talk to.

I miss being a fan and seeing the Rushville Nats with 75 cars showing up from all over the GLOBE.

I'd love to dust off the gear, freshen up the race car, and go racing.

No drama, no ********. Just pure, good, fun, rewarding racing.

Heading out of turn 4,

Good day every body.

:checkered:

Jon Martindale

Jontheburboguy for president!!!

Jim Morrison

[TqMidget41&84]

I don't know about Jon for president....he would have turbo's on all the TQ's ! Just kidding Jon......turbo's could be fun !
Posted via Mobile Device

[jontheturboguy]

I doubt any one would want me for president.
I know too many people, and I make too much sense. :idea:

[Sandy Lowe]

Originally Posted by 4wheelsinthekoosh Wow i remember UMRA in 93'. Same year i got emancipated and still got kicked out of the club. (then when out and got into a sprint car) But it probaly didnt help that i drove one of "green car's" a couple of times when they were banned.

Billy,

The rule was all drivers must be at least 16 years of age. It can't get any more black and white than that. However it happened (and it doesn't matter now) you competed the entire season at the age of 14.

Before the 1994 season UMRA found out how old you really were, the membership took a vote, and decided that a rule is a rule. It didn't matter what color of car you drove, or what team you were affiliated with, they didn't bend the rules.

Sandy

Im glad I came across these 2 threads about TQs.
In the 70-80s my dad worked on a TQ, driver by the name of Dave Blankenship.
I was a kid, 5-10, i dont remember much other than it was fun. We hadnt been to a race in probably 20 years, until this year. We went to quite a few races this year just cause it was good racing. We have even been looking into buying a car and havin a little team. I dont know anything about any of the ******** that are goin on with the UMRA. I gotta say, we r second guessing ourselves about buying that car. It seems to us that there is alot of whining going on. When a guy wins you dont make up rules to slow him down. What you do is beat him. You come up with something that makes you faster, and you beat him. If he is cheating, you catch him. It just seems like everyone is "taking their ball and goin home" rather than race and get beat cause they arent fast enough. As for the people that cant afford it. Then maybe you should make more money. Its hard to get excited about gettin into racing when you hear that people want to split up the club. If you want to change things then run for president. And it sounds like ya need a president that doesnt already have his hand in the cookie jar. And one that isnt afraid to enforce the rules and also tell people to be quiet and race. We were at Anderson this weekend, saw the wreck, didnt see the aftermath. 17 cars, we were pretty disappointed. Again i dont know much of anything about the ******** and how 'deep' it goes. Just my 2 cents. We hope to hear better news in the future. If the club were to split, Im not sure we would buy that car. It certainly wouldnt help the situation. We like the series and would like to get involved.